Brew....you know anything bout dis? ?
Posted: Mar 9th, '15, 21:34
Harry,
Yep it's a mess......below is a recent statement from the CCA concerning Red Snapper allotment .
"Management of Gulf of Mexico red snapper is a mess, and has utterly failed recreational anglers. There will likely be more red snapper available in 2015 than any time in its history under federal management, but individual anglers won't be allowed to share in the success. Instead, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has approved Amendment 40 - Sector Separation, a scheme that is now before the Secretary of Commerce, awaiting her signature to become law.
This is the last opportunity to make the case against privatization of our public marine resources, this time to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.
Amendment 40 proposes to take almost half of the recreational quota of red snapper and reserve it solely for the charter/for-hire industry for its own use. It is the first step to enacting a catch share program for charter/for-hire operators, modeled on the ownership program for the commercial red snapper sector in which less than 400 individuals own 51 percent of the entire fishery.
This has been one of the most divisive and controversial measures ever undertaken by the Gulf Council. CCA has opposed Amendment 40 since inception. The seven Council members who voted against it issued a scathing minority report. Public comment on Amendment 40 has run overwhelmingly against the idea of further privatization. The Council and NOAA have ignored it all.
Again, this is the last chance to stop privatization of public marine resources. Take action now!
CLICK THIS LINK: http://www.joincca.org/notoamendment40 and tell the Secretary we need a fix for the entire recreational sector, not just a few, select individuals."